The Team

Laneceya Russ-Martin is the Executive Director of March for Moms. She holds a Master’s degree in Communication from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from Louisiana State University. Laneceya is actively involved in numerous national and state coalitions and organizations focused on maternal and child health.

As a dedicated volunteer, Laneceya currently serves as the Vice-Chair of Sexual Trauma Awareness and Response, a statewide sexual assault center. She also serves on the development committee for Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast and is the Co-Vice President of Philanthropy for the Greater Baton Rouge chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Previously, Laneceya has served as a board member of the Louisiana Crime Victim Reparations Board and as a mentor with the Baton Rouge Youth Coalition.

Katie Breen is the Director of Program Management and Evaluation for the Colorado Perinatal Care Quality Collaborative. She is the founder and host of The Femtastic Podcast, where she features expert interviews on issues of gender equality, social justice, and reproductive health. Katie has a Master of Public Health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Elon Kotlar combines his experiences as a practicing Obstetrician, Women’s & Children’s Health Assistant Chief Medical Information Officer and Medical Director of Population Health Management. He is dedicated to improving maternal health care by bridging the gap between birthing families, health care providers and the systems they work in. He brings a process oriented approach rooted in mutual respect and leverages information solutions to envision new models of care that overcome current obstacles to change.

Elon is a father, Midwifery advocate and Obstetric faculty member at Jefferson Health where he teaches and mentors the next generation of OBGYN residents and medical students.

Chanel Porchia-Albert is the founder of Ancient Song Doula Services, and a Certified Full Spectrum Doula. She is a maternal mortality advocate.

Charles Johnson is a father and husband of the late Kira Dixon Johnson, who tragically lost her life after a  c-section. Charles is a maternal health advocate and founder of 4Kira4Moms.

Dr. Jamila K. Taylor is the current president and CEO of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. She is also a national health equity leader, seasoned health policy researcher, and social justice advocate. A renowned health policy expert, Taylor’s work centers issues related to maternal health and reproductive justice, focusing on the structural barriers to health care access, racial and gender disparities in health outcomes, and the intersections between health care and economic justice.

Throughout her 20+ year career, Taylor has championed the health and rights of women both in the U.S. and around the world, promoting policies that ensure access to vital health care, including building support for abortion access, ensuring safe and compassionate reproductive and maternal health care, and dismantling structural racism within the U.S. health care system. She has held leadership positions in national organizations, such as the Center for American Progress, the Century Foundation, the National WIC Association, and others. She started her career as a congressional staffer in the office of Rep. Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA) in the late 1990s.

Taylor has testified before Congress, and published and presented extensively on various public policy issues. Her work has been seen in The Hill, RealClearPolicy, RealClearHealth, The Nation, U.S. News and World Report, Yale Journal of International Affairs, Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, Scientific American, Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics, as well as a host of other publications. She has provided commentary on the most pressing women’s issues of our generation on NPR, Morning Consult, Women@Work—Powered by the Wharton School, C-SPAN, Fox News, Black News Channel, BBC World News, Politico Live, and other media programs. Dr. Taylor is a highly sought-after expert by national and international press, as well as by U.S. government officials, academics, advocates, foundations, and other key stakeholders. She holds a PhD in Political Science from Howard University, a Masters degree in Public Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Hampton University.